States & Properties
Which state of matter keeps its own shape and volume no matter the container?
solid
Which instrument is best for finding the mass of a small classroom object?
Pan balance (balance scale).
Which of these is most likely to dissolve in water: cooking oil, table salt, sand, or dry leaf pieces?
table salt
When ice melts into water, is that a physical change or chemical change?
physical change
If sand is left in bright sunlight and its measured temperature rises, what happened to the sand’s temperature?
It increased
What word describes how an object feels to the touch (for example, smooth or rough)?
Texture
Which instrument is used to measure the volume of a liquid in milliliters?
Graduated cylinder
List three actions that make a solid dissolve faster in a liquid.
Increasing temperature, stirring, and increasing surface area (breaking into smaller pieces).
Which is an example of a chemical change: shredding paper, burning a match, or folding cloth?
Burning a match (chemical change).
What is the term for the change from a liquid to a gas when water boils?
Evaporation or boiling
Name two observable properties you could use to compare two different rocks.
Any two: mass, volume, color, texture, hardness, odor, shape.
You want the volume of a small, oddly shaped pebble. Name a method to measure it.
Use water displacement in a graduated cylinder
If you have a mixture of small stones and shells, which simple tool would best separate them?
A sieve or sifter (separates by particle size).
Give two observable signs that a chemical change may have taken place.
Color change, new odor, temperature change, gas bubbles forming, or light being produced.
Which action will make a solid dissolve faster: stirring, cooling, leaving it alone, or adding more solid?
Stirring
Which state of matter takes the shape of its container but keeps the same volume?
Two samples balance equally on a pan balance. What does this tell you about the two samples?
They have the same mass
How would you separate a pile of iron bits mixed with non‑magnetic sand without touching each piece?
Use a magnet to pull out the iron bits.
A baker places batter on a hot pan and it turns into a cooked item faster on higher heat. Is this a physical or chemical change, and how does temperature affect the rate?
Chemical change; higher temperature speeds up the chemical change.
A pot of water bubbles and the water level lowers while on the stove. What is happening?
The water is boiling and evaporating.
Explain why gases do not have a definite shape or volume.
Gas particles spread out to fill the available space, so their shape and volume depend on the container.
A deflated balloon is measured, then air is added and it is measured again. What happens to the balloon’s mass and why?
The mass increases because air (matter) was added to the balloon
A drink is too cold and sugar in lumps is dissolving slowly. Which single action will NOT make the lumps dissolve faster: stirring, warming, breaking up the lumps, or adding more sugar? Explain.
Adding more sugar will not make the existing lumps dissolve faster; it increases the amount of solute.
A yard waste pile becomes soil over time with help from tiny organisms. Explain why this is a chemical change and name one thing that would slow the process.
Decomposition changes the original materials into new substances (chemical change). Lowering the temperature would slow decomposition.
If you heat a reaction and it happens faster, what effect did the temperature have on the reaction rate?
The temperature increased the reaction rate (it made the reaction occur)